Stem cell research under threat from Catholic Labour MPs

Catholic Labour MPs are threatening to scupper Gordon Brown's flagship legislation to extend medical research if plans to liberalise abortion laws are passed.

A foetus in the womb

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent

4:46PM BST 17 Oct 2008

The House of Commons is due to give its final assent on Wednesday to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which contains measures to expand medical research in the search for a cure for dozens of serious conditions.

But it could be derailed due to controversy over an attempt by pro-choice MPs to highjack the legislation by attaching amendments making it easier for women to gain access to abortion services.

Catholic Labour MPs plan to tell the Whips Office that if any of the amendments prove successful, they will rebel on the final "third reading," of the Bill, which will follow the abortion votes, potentially bringing it down altogether.

Mr Brown has an emotional investment in the Embryology Bill, making a dramatic intervention earlier in the year to argue in favour of the legislation, which some MPs had been reluctant to support due to concerns about the creation of hybrid human animal embryos.

In an article which hinted at his own experiences as the father of two children with serious diseases - his daughter Jennifer died at just 10 days old, while youngest son Fraser suffers from cystic fibrosis - he wrote an article arguing passionately for the advancement of scientific research.

Related Articles

The intervention was enough to persuade the House to support the Bill when it was last voted on in May, meaning next week's vote should be a formality.

As primary Government legislation, it will carry a three line whip, and it is there for compulsory for Labour MPs to vote in favour of it.

But the 11th hour attempts to attach the liberalising abortion amendments could lead to a significant rebellion.

Among the measures the pro-choice lobby hope to introduce are abandoning the current requirement on women to obtain the consent of two doctors before they can have an abortion.

Other measures include allowing nurses as well as doctors to carry out early-stage terminations, and permitting women to take abortion drugs at home.

As revealed in the Daily Telegraph this week, a bid to allow legal abortion in Northern Ireland for the first time is unlikely to succeed because of fears about the impact on the peace process.

The main Ulster parties have now joined forces to write a letter to every single MP warning them not to back the measure.

In line with convention, the abortion amendments will all be decided on a free vote, meaning Catholic MPs will be able to express their views.

But Jim Dobbin, chair of the All-Party Pro-Life Parliamentary Group and Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton, warned: "The trouble is that the Embryology Bill is a three line whip, and if any abortion amendments are successful earlier in the debate, then that puts a whole different complexion on it.

"There is an argument that Catholic - or any other - MPs should not be forced to vote for a bill which contains any measures to liberalise abortion.

"I shall be making that point very forcefully to the Chief Whip when I see him on Monday."